[ananthkamath]

I was speaking about the Radical SR8 a few days ago in the "Poor man's supercar.." thread...Some details...



"One the world’s most prestigious production car records was obliterated yesterday (28/9/05) by Michael Vergers in Radical’s extraordinary SR8. In road legal trim and riding on Dunlop Direnza tyres he lapped the infamous 13-mile Nordschleife circuit in just 6 minutes 55 seconds, knocking a massive 20 seconds off the previous best!



"The Radical SR8 is powered by a 2.6-litre high-revving V8 engine, built in-house by Powertec, developing 360bhp. It generates enough downforce to be able to theoretically drive upside down and holds the outright lap record at Cadwell Park (the UK’s mini-Nurburgring) and has been winning sportscar races around the world since the launch in January this year. For 2006, the SR8 will be the star of the all-new 'Great & British' Motorsport Festivals, visiting all the best UK circuits."




"Based on the SR3 Turbo chassis, the SR8 is powered by the amazing Powertec RPA 2.6 litre macroblock V8 motor, which produces 360bhp and revs to 10,500rpm. Drive is via a Powertec-Quaife six-speed sequential transaxle with integral torque biasing limited-slip differential. With an all-up dry weight under 600kg, the SR8 possesses 600bhp per ton of smooth, controllable power.



"All-new bodywork incorporates a new front with integral high-downforce diffuser and dive planes, new high-downforce side pods/skirts and a remodelled, low drag rear with a bi-plane rear wing. Wind tunnel test have confirmed that at it’s maximum speed of 170mph, the SR8 produces enough downforce to support it’s own weight, full load of fuel, and a driver."


The PowerTec is a technical marvel in itself...its actually 2 Hayabusa cyl. heads (& pistons, rods) put onto a common crankshaft....Hats off to Radical...To me, this car is much more exciting than any Ferrari or Lamborghini..

www.radicalextremesportscars.com/index.php

[turbo_lover]

followed up quite a few times after its launch succeeding the SR3 ...
its cheap too eh 30 000 pounds ?
this car was made to run on the tracks...

[1Day]

its not a car anyone would want to buy for daily use and track use..its only a track car..so it really can not compete with the true sports "CARS" available..its more of a grown up go cart..

[ananthkamath]

Originally Posted by 1Day

its not a car anyone would want to buy for daily use and track use..its only a track car..so it really can not compete with the true sports "CARS" available..its more of a grown up go cart..

So what? What matters is, it is a brilliant piece of engineering, & it CAN be used on the road.

No need to humble Ferraris & Porsches every day, the owners will die of heart-attack. Once a week is enough...

[Mpower]

Awesome machine. Does all this with a steel tube frame chassis. But this car will never be appreciated by the poser crowd with their carbon fiber Enzos.

[ananthkamath]

My thoughts exactly. These are meant only for hardcore enthusiasts who can appreciate a good piece of engineering when they see one. Not for people who put marque over everything else.

If this car were to have been made by Ferrari, there would be thousands of posts on a forum like this & thousands drooling over it as if it were made by God Almighty Himself.

[v1p3r]

As a feat of engineering, it's great. But then maybe the original Lotus Seven was better, and the Ariel Atom too...

Me? I'd still save for the Murcielago...

[1Day]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

If this car were to have been made by Ferrari, there would be thousands of posts on a forum like this & thousands drooling over it as if it were made by God Almighty Himself.

you wouldnt see me drooling over if this is made my ferrari, lamborghini, pagani or whoever you can come up with..i just dont like it..you can probably get almost same performance from a proper car if you just had the right minds to it..i just dont like the shape of this thing..its butt ugly..but surely it would be fun on the track..let me ask how many really track their cars here??

[ananthkamath]

Originally Posted by 1Day

you can probably get almost same performance from a proper car if you just had the right minds to it..

Well then lets see someone try it...The right minds, however right they may be, can never defy the laws of physics; which says that the lighter something is, the quicker it responds. So making a full size car to match this is well nigh impossible with the materials we have now.

I made this post in the International Machines forum; I assume that when people post in this forum, they hardly do so with the expectation that there is a market for such cars in India.

So thats besides the point.

The point is, here's a car made by a little-known company, a band of enthusiasts in fact, which can cut it among the best in the world. And it costs only a fraction of what the others do.

Viper I agree with you on the Lotus Seven, though not on the Atom.

[ported_head]

I absolutely love this current crop of trackday specials, more so the Radical. It's such an inspiration for us amateur car builders. Mind you, don't quote me wrong, there is nothing amateur about the the SR8. But, ohhh, for the sheer simplicity of the concept, one part high revving engine mounted amidships, one part extremely light chassis without resorting to the use of exotic materials, and the pure use of aerodynamics. For something that can generate as much downforce as it's gross weight is un-frigggin-believeable. Looks are subjective, but, when function over form, I'm a sucker.

For something that laps the NS in under 7 minutes, it sure as hell deserves more respect than a grown-up go kart.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by ported_head

... us amateur car builders.... .

What?!

Originally Posted by ported_head

...
when function over form, I'm a sucker.

The Stuttgart emblem says it all!

[ported_head]

Originally Posted by v1p3r

What?!

Why surprised, Monsieur v1p3r?? Last time I checked you were one too, though the shift from Locost to Herald notwithstanding.

[1Day]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

Well then lets see someone try it...The right minds, however right they may be, can never defy the laws of physics; which says that the lighter something is, the quicker it responds. So making a full size car to match this is well nigh impossible with the materials we have now.

I made this post in the International Machines forum; I assume that when people post in this forum, they hardly do so with the expectation that there is a market for such cars in India.

So thats besides the point.

The point is, here's a car made by a little-known company, a band of enthusiasts in fact, which can cut it among the best in the world. And it costs only a fraction of what the others do.

Viper I agree with you on the Lotus Seven, though not on the Atom.

You really think its impossible to get this kind of performance from a road going street car, I dont consider it a street car, even though in some countries you might be able to register it..

Street going sports car is one that you can track and drive on streets in decent comfort..which is missing in this..I think ring is prety much definitive in performance when it comes to sports cars...this one did it in 6:55 I agree it super, hell its beyound phenominal..but still given minor tweeks to CGT like HP bump, bring it lighter(which is possible) and tuning the suspension a little more you could get to the 7min mark there after some hard trying..another car which might be able to get to this level if not exactly it..would be the corvette...if GM decides to make the Blue Devil it will have close to 150hp more, might even be 100-150 lbs lighter than the Z06 which did the ring in 7:42. what do you think blue devil would run? take a guess, I am guessing atleast better the Z06 by 15-20 secs, going quicker than the CGT, put better tires on the blue and you will have it may be go down in teens..now some tunner modfiying the Blue Devil slightly more could easily get as close to the 7 min mark as possible..while keeping the price probably less than the FGT(I am assuming the Blue Devil would be sub 100k car) which is a phenominal feet and considering you would have navi in it and may be some more ammenities uuhhh like heated seats, roof, memory seat, hud etc...etc...etc...and you could drive it to the shopping mall without much diificulty, which can not be said for the SR8..I am not undermining it but I dont know I never liked cars like this..

[ananthkamath]

Originally Posted by 1Day

I am not undermining it but I dont know I never liked cars like this..

So you are admitting that you are biased.

What you said may or may not be possible. In any track car there are other things like aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics. You are looking at this from merely a horsepower standpoint. If that were the case then every track car would be running nitrous, while in reality you dont see a single one using nitrous on the track.... Why? because netting 100 bhp more may in fact be less significant than gaining 0.3 g lateral acceleration..

For the track Westfield (or was it Donkervoort) ran a Caterham-like car with a HUGE wing at the back. And the difference between the timing with the wing and without the wing was something like 40 seconds on the Nordschleife....The engine was untouched...

[1Day]

I agree with you on the aerodynamics of the car, but I am talking about cars that already have excellent aerodynamics, if the HP bump doesnt make a big diff then the time diff between a 400hp C6 vs 505hp Z06 would not have been 17 secs on the ring..I know the Z06 has far superior braking, better engine setup for track use etc, but had the worst tires you can get a track car, runflats or as like most like to call them runcraps, they are just horrible, with potential to knock down another 5-10 secs off from the Z06 can really show you what these machines are made off..now tell me dont you think a higher hp, lighter Z06 with some sticky tires wouldnt run as close to this SR8 as possible??